Vera Pavlovna Lebedeva (Russian: Вера Павловна Лебедева; September 18, 1881 – December 10, 1968) was a Soviet physician known for her political activity and her successful efforts to reduce infant mortality in the nation.

Lebedeva was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1881; her father, a cook, died in 1892, leaving the family dependent on charity.

Despite this, Lebedeva graduated from the gymnasium and earned a gold medal, then took a job as a schoolteacher in a rural area.

By 1901, she was financially stable enough to attend the Women's Medical Institute in Saint Petersburg, but was expelled twice due to her political activities.

[1] The innovative program consisted of a network of nurseries and preschools, each staffed with a qualified pediatrician who could monitor the children's health and advise parents.